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McHenry County Board District 2 is located in the southeast portion of McHenry County and includes parts of Crystal Lake, Cary, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and Lakewood. John (Jack) Collins is the challenger.
Full Name: John (Jack) K Collins
What office are you seeking? McHenry County Board District 2
What is your political party? Democrat
Age: 62
Occupation and Employer: President/ Owner Omni Supply Corporation
What elected offices, if any, have you previously held? I was appointed to fill Suzanne Ness’ seat went she was elected to the Illinois House
Campaign Website: johnkcollins.com
Town where you live: Crystal Lake
Education: BA Business Management North Central College, Naperville, Il
Community Involvement: Member of McHenry County Board for 1.5 years. Founded the LCPL Jonathan W. Collins Memorial Fund which built the Crystal Lake South Soccer Field.
Marital Status/Immediate Family: Married, 4 children (1 deceased LcPL Jonathan W. Collins KIA Ramadi, Iraq 08/08/2004), 8 grandchildren
In under 100 words, please share anything else about your professional or personal background that you want voters to know.
As a small business owner, I understand the importance of sound fiscal policies. By leveraging your strengths, it’s possible to do more with less.
Why are you running for office?
*As a past McHenry County Board member and resident of McHenry County for over 20 years I understand the challenges and opportunities that our community faces. I see the potential for growth and progress, but also the areas that require attention and improvement. It is this experience that has fueled my desire to again serve the residents of District 2 and contribute to the betterment of the community. *
What would you identify as the top three issues currently facing the county board and how would you address them?
The first is financial stability. While it is true the the county is debt free, that comes at a cost. We are leaving federal and state grant dollars on the table because the current board insists on paying cash for everything. In addition to lost grant money the county pays more for projects by pushing them off into the future. We should examine the cost of using bonds for capital projects, only, to see potential saving by doing projects today versus 3 years from now. The next issue is the introduction of MAGA policies into board processes and decisions. The board in the past has operated on a bi-partisan basis to work on and resolve the challenges facing the county. Recently some remembers have evaluated polices and processes based on MAGA and Project 2025 beliefs. This has no place in county management. As an independent Democrat I will work to resolve problems not debate party politics. Finally over the past three to five years the transportation department has been under funded. It was so bad that money had to be transferred from the County’s general fund to fund payroll. The county has taken steps recently to shore up Transportation, however there are board members already seeking to roll back some of those changes, including my opponent. I will work to ensure the department is fully funded and has the resources to meet our road, bridges and other transportation needs,
If you’re an incumbent, how are you planning to vote on the upcoming budget and tax levy? Aside from the cut in the levy related to the mental health board, do you support additional cuts, or would you support holding the line on any increase? Would you support taxing the maximum allowed under the tax cap and of new EAV growth? If you’re a challenger, how would you approach this issue? The challenge to this question is the future unknowns. The responsibility of the board is to ensure that the county has the financial resources for today and tomorrow. Unfortunately the board has gotten into a habit of looking at just the next year and failing to understand the impact of not raising or cutting taxes on the future. You can not have 10 years of no tax increases and expect that the county can continue to meet the needs of its citizens. My focus will be on what the future looks like and how best to manage the county to meet those needs at the lowest possible cost to our residents. That will mean taking advantage of every federal and state dollar available, exploring bonds, for capital projects only, and evaluating services to ensure they make sense.
Why shouldn’t voters choose your opponent? My opponent fails on a number of issues. He does not support women’s rights. When the women’s proclamation came up for a vote he sided with other MAGA Republicans to support a watered-done version because the original version included the words diversity and inclusion. He is also looking to cut the gains made in financing the transportation department, which puts the public at risk.
Should Metra, CTA and Pace be consolidated into one regional public transportation agency? Why or why not?
Yes. Transportation is the second largest cost for most people, after housing. A consolidated public transportation agency would be more efficient, be able to better coordinate the different methods of transportation and lower fare costs.
What are the county’s biggest infrastructure needs and what is your plan for funding them?
The biggest need is bridge and road maintenance. With the increase in EVs and better gas milage for vehicles the amount of money generated from fuel taxes continues to decrease. We must look at bonds to fund these critical capital projects. Internet access in the west and north part of the county is also lacking. We need to prioritize this and make sure we are taking advantage of all of the funding available .
How do you propose to regulate the use of solar farms in the county? Do you support the expansion of solar farms in unincorporated areas? State law prohibits the county from regulating solar farm building. I think that farmers who own land and are contacted about building a solar farm are in the best position to determine if they wish to sell or lease for that purpose.
The county board recently convened a working group on workforce housing whose report found a need for more workforce housing in the county. Do you support the expansion of sub-market workforce housing and should the county be involved in investing in such projects?
I am unsure what is meant by sub-market workforce housing. It is not a sub-market, there is a large market for workforce housing. I fully support the development of it. The study done identifies the issues facing workforce housing. I would like to see the board take the next step and determine what steps it can take to create an atmosphere to build more housing.
Should the county board limit its votes to “germane” topics as was proposed recently? And should the board be in the business of passing resolutions or flying flags to recognize certain groups or movements? I* am not sure about what was proposed, but my experience is that items that come up for vote, that have followed the process are not the issue. The issue is changes made behind closed doors or proposed at monthly board meetings for political grandstanding. If board procedures are followed then then there is no issue. There is no longer a flag issue as the county voted for a resolution a few years ago stopping the flying of flags. As for proclamations I am for them. *
Should the county allow marijuana dispensaries or cultivation centers to operate in unincorporated areas? Yes.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony?* No.*
In your capacity as a private citizen, have you or any business entity in which you have an ownership stake receive a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding? *Yes. $107,185.00. Forgiven. *
Will you honor the results of the November election, including the presidential race? Yes.